Improvement in stone and log sleds



W. GREGG. STONE AND LOG SLEDS.

No. 195 Patented S.epo.18,18"1"l.-

7/vwT EssEs UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

WILLIAM GREGG, OF MASON, MICHIGAN.

IMPROVEMENT IN STONE AND LOG SLEDS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 195,359, dated September 18, 1877 application filed November 18, 1876.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM GREGG, of Mason, in the county of Ingham and State of Michigan, have invented a new and valuable Improvement in Sleds for Transporting Logs and Stones; and I do hereby declare that the following is. a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a representation of aperspective view of my improved sled, and Fig. 2 is a sideview thereof.

This invention has relation to improvements in sleds or boats for collecting stones or hauling logs or other material from place to place; and the nature of the invention consists in a scow-shaped sled the bottom of which will be made of boards bent up at one end to form the bow, and the sides of edge boards secured thereto and likewise bent up in acurve corresponding to that of the bow, whereby a sled or drag will be made the bottom of which will wear off smoothly and evenly, and all danger of the breaking off or roughening of the upturned bow prevented, as will be hereinafter fully set forth.

In the annexed drawings, the letter A designates my improved log or stone sled, consisting of bottom boards 'a, side boards I), and end boards 0 o.

The boards a composing the bottom will be from two to three inches thick, and will be doweled, dovetailed, or otherwise solidly joined together edge to edge. Their frontends will be bent up in an arc of acircle, and will form the bow or front end j of the scow. This construction, where the grain of the wood is lengthwise of the boat, will cause it to run easily over the soil, and to wear away evenly and smoothly, with the least possible friction upon the ground. It will also obviate the danger of breaking off the bow or upturned end, as is the case frequently when the bottom boards and bow are sawed out of one piece of timber.

-The sides b will be bent up in a curve, n, corresponding to that of the bow, and will be bolted to the bottom in any suitable manner.

The end boards 0 c are halved with the sides, as shown at d, and connected to each other and to the bottom by means of a bolt, 6,

extending through the joints or angles of the sides and ends into the bottom boards. The sides and ends are thus made to form aframe which fits upon the bottom, and no part of which is ever in contact with the ground; consequently, as the bottom wears away the sides and ends remain intact, and when the bottom aforesaid is worn through it may be removed and new ones secured to the same end and side pieces. The latter will be provided alougits upper edge with rings or eyebolts f, by means of which cord-wood, logs, or other timber may be bound to the sled with ropes or chains.

E represents removable bolsters, the body portion h of which fits snugly between the sides and beara upon the bottom of the sled. These bolsters will have lateral arms Z, one at each end, which rest upon the upper edge of the side, as shown in Fig. 1.

These bolsters will be used when logs, planks, scantling, or other like lengthy material is to be hauled, the load being placed upon them. Being removable, the entire length of the sled may be used for hauling stone, earth, and other like materials.

In practice, the bow of the sled will have an opening, 1), formed therein, as a means of attachinga chain for the dratt; but I may.

use a device in the nature of a clevis or a book, by means of which the usual single or double trees may be used.

I am aware that sled-runners are made of steam-bent wood, and that it is not new to saw the curved bottom-pieces of a stone-sled from straight-grained timber, nor to saw them from wood having a natural bend; hence I do not broadly claim such devices.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The improved stone-sled herein described, consisting of the bottom a, of longitudinal plank bent upward at the bow, the bent sides 1) corresponding in curvature to the bottom and supported thereon, the ends 0 c, and the adjustable and removable bolsters E, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM GREGG.

Witnesses:

E. STANTON, S. W. Humour. 

